Notre Dame ReSources

Published: December 03, 1997

Notre Dame ReSources
Dec. 1-6
p. Please feel free to call the following Notre Dame faculty for additional comment on these people and events in the news:
p. p. Land mines : “In the five years I’ve wandered around the front lines of wars, I’ve never personally seen a soldier who was the casualty of a land mine, but I have seen scores of civiliansmost of them kidswho have been injured,” says Notre Dame anthropologist Carolyn Nordstrom , author of the recently published book “A Different Kind of War Story” (see below). “It just doesn’t make sense for the United States to oppose the international treaty banning land mines (which was signed this week). The people who are opposed must never have been on the front lines.” (219) 631-8819
p. Japanese economy : The volatility in the Japanese economy is due in large part to the “lack of sufficient demand to spur consumer confidence,” says Jeffrey Bergstrand , associate professor of finance and business economics at Notre Dame. "Japan cut taxes a few months ago, then soon repealed the cuts. This transitory stimulus had no permanent effect on consumer confidence. Japan needs a sustained increase in public infrastructure spending and tax cuts to get the economy out of a classic Keynesian ‘liquidity trap.’ " (219) 631-6761
p. Egypt : Recent attacks on tourists in Egypt by militant extremists “figure as a small but very persistent element in a strategy by underground Islamic political activists designed to destabilize the government and reshape the nation,” says Rev. Patrick Gaffney , C.S.C., chair and associate professor of anthropology at Notre Dame. “Since these violent assaults directly affect international tourismwhich is Egypt’s most lucrative source of foreign earningsthey represent a significant blow to the country’s economy. A steady flow of recruits to these fringe groups also stems from a widespread sense of deepening frustration with the overall political and economic conditions in Egypt and the sense of desperation in the face of a government that is felt to be corrupt, repressive and illegitimate.” (219) 631-4113.
p. War stories : Notre Dame anthropologist Carolyn Nordstrom uses the tools of her discipline to examine the 15-year civil war in Mozambique in a new book, “A Different Kind of War Story,” published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. Nordstrom describes what Mozambicans experienced and how many not only endured but also responded creatively to brutality and unrelenting terror. She also explores the nature and culture of terror warfare and raises questions about state power, civilian resistance and the politics of identity. (219) 631-8819
p. Assisted suicide I : The legalization of assisted suicide presents serious moral dilemmas, says David Solomon , associate professor of philosophy at Notre Dame. “It’s wrong to think of one’s life as one’s own,” he says. “Our lives do not belong to us. Our own death is not something that happens to us. Death is not an event, it is the end of life.” In addition to moral concerns, Solomon added, “We do not need (assisted suicide) now because we have living wills and we have ways of dealing with pain effectively.” (219) 631-6229
p. Assisted suicide II : “In light of the abuses exposed in managed health care organizations, it’s dangerous and foolhardy for a society that cares about the weak and vulnerable to allow assisted suicide,” says M. Cathleen Kaveny , associate professor of law at Notre Dame. “Anybody who has been denied necessary medical treatment, or has had a family member denied treatment, should think long and hard about what health care would be like with assisted suicide in the mix. We should not try to kill people before we learn to take care of them.” (219) 631-7844
p. Campaign finance reform : The best approach to campaign finance reform is to change the way policiticians look at money, says Connel Fullenkamp , assistant professor of finance and business economics at Notre Dame."The right kind of campaign finance reform would unleash the power of voter resentment against big-money politics and force politicians to balance this cost against the benefit that money brings to a campaign, " he says. “The key elements of this reform are loosening the restrictions on individual donations and enable voters to trace the money trails easily and use that information to choose between candidates.” (219) 631-8432; fullenkamp.1@nd.edu p. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: If you buy a “Beamer” you’re more likely to take good care of it, according to recent research by Notre Dame management professors Edward Conlon, Khalil Matta and Sarvanan Devaraj .In a study titled “Is Quality Perception a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? The Case of the Automotive Industry,” the authors found a strong link between the perception of quality and customers’ maintenance activities. Specifically, after controlling for owner income levels, education levels and certain personality traits, the study indicated that people who purchase vehicles with strong quality reputations maintian them better than those who buy cars with lesser reputations, and vice versa. “This is an especially interesting finding in the world of leasing,” says Conlon. “With a leased automobile, the lessor reatins areal interest in how the car is maintianed.” (219) 631-6183 p. Notre Dame notes: Notre Dame has established the Erasmus Institute , a major new initiative with a specific focus on reinvigorating the role of Catholic intellectual traditions in contemporary scholarship … “Knute Rockne, All American,” the 1940 movie about Notre Dame’s legendary football coach, was among 25 motion pictures selected to the National Film Registry this year … The University is engaged in a yearlongproject that will focus on the impact and lessons of the Holocaust experience for the contemporary world. The centerpiece of the project will be an international, interdisciplinary academic conference, “Humanity at the Limit: The Impact of the Holocaust Experience on Jews and Christians,” to be held on campus April 26-28 … The University has announced a $13-million expansion plan for its Keough Institute for Irish Studies , including creation of a multidisciplinary Notre Dame study center in Dublin, Ireland, and an historic cooperative agreement between Notre Dame and University College Dublin (UCD) and Trinity college, Dublin.p.